New Year

When I went out to do chores before sunrise this morning, I was greeted by a calm, crisp, still, peaceful, clear morning with a light frost covering everything.  What a beautiful way to start the new year!

We had our last Christmas gathering on Wednesday night, so our Christmas is officially over.  The big extended family Christmas was two weeks ago Saturday, and our own family gathering was on Christmas Eve.  It's fun watching our kids exchange gifts and watching the grandchildren open gifts.  Books remain a staple gift.  I believe somewhere between 30 and 40 books changed hands at that gathering!  I received seven books myself over the holidays, and have finished two of them already.  One of them (Dear County Agent Guy), had this quote that I found amusing.

      Marriage is a dicey proposition at best.  Half of all unions end in divorce court, while the other half end at the funeral parlor.  Neither prospect seems very pleasant!

Christmas day was a laid back, relaxing day for us.  We had the oldest farmer and my mother over for our traditional oyster stew supper in the evening.  Of course, I didn't partake of the oyster stew.  That's one of the few seafood dishes that I don't particularly enjoy.

Since Christmas fell on Sunday this year, our fellowship lunch and the second service were cancelled.  Christmas is the celebration of our Lord's birth, and Sunday is the Lord's day, so it would seem to me that the most appropriate thing to do when Christmas lands on Sunday, would be to spend it with our church family in worship and fellowship.

It only happens about fourteen times per century.
It seems like nowadays people look for any reason they can find to cancel services or reduce the amount of time we have to spend in church.

I am reminded of the Kingsmen Quartet song, "Excuses".


Excuses, excuses, you'll hear them every day.
And the Devil he'll supply them, if the church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.

In the summer it's too hot. And, in the winter, it's too cold.
In the spring time when the weather's just right, you find some place else to go.
Well, it's up to the mountains or down to the beach or to visit some old friend.
Or, to just stay home and kinda relax and hope that some of the kin folks will start dropping in.

Well, the church benches are too hard. And, that choir sings way too loud.
Boy, you know how nervous you get when you're sitting in a great big crowd.
The doctor told you, "Now, you better watch them crowds. They'll set you back."
But, you go to that old ball game because you say "it helps you to relax."

Well, a headache Sunday morning and a backache Sunday night.
But by worktime Monday morning, you're feeling quite alright.
While one of the children has a cold, "Pneumonia, do you suppose?"
Why the whole family had to stay home, just to blow that poor kid's nose.

Excuses, excuses, you'll hear them every day.
And the Devil he'll supply them if the church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.

Well, the preacher he's too young. And, maybe he's too old.

The sermons they're not hard enough. And, maybe they're too bold.
His voice is much too quiet-like. Sometimes he gets too loud.
He needs to have more dignity. Or, else he's way too proud.

Well, the sermons they're too long. And, maybe they're too short.
He ought to preach the word with dignity instead of "stomp and snort."
Well, that preacher we've got must be "the world's most stuck up man."
Well, one of the lady's told me the other day, "Well, he didn't even shake my hand."

Excuses, excuses, you'll hear them every day.
And the Devil he'll supply them if the church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.



And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
Luke 14:18